Chelsea Transfers

[mkh 372]

Enzo Maresca:

"No, no, no [we are not considering any free agents to bolster attack]. We are focused on finding solutions with the ones that we have."

Enzo Maresca:  "No [plans to block Deivid Washington's proposed loan move]. He is in talks with Santos."

Enzo Maresca:

"Our goal, our duty is to bring this club to win or compete in four competitions but at this moment we are not ready. Am I confident it will happen? Absolutely. In the next five or ten years this club can compete, no doubt..."

Enzo Maresca:

"I know that probably after a while when the club is not competing for important titles, [the fans] feel a little bit frustrated. But they cannot think that suddenly... we are competing for titles and winning titles."
🤐🤬

[via @kierangill_DM]

 

 ‘So we’ve got Maresca saying top 4 wasn’t the target, Laurence Stewart saying UCL is a must, and Cucurella saying top 4 is non-negotiable. Does anyone at Chelsea have the same meeting, or are they using different group chats?’ 😪

 

Edited Thursday at 23:03 by mkh

[DDA 9,748]

8 minutes ago, mkh said:

Enzo Maresca:

"No, no, no [we are not considering any free agents to bolster attack]. We are focused on finding solutions with the ones that we have."

Enzo Maresca:  "No [plans to block Deivid Washington's proposed loan move]. He is in talks with Santos."

Enzo Maresca:

"Our goal, our duty is to bring this club to win or compete in four competitions but at this moment we are not ready. Am I confident it will happen? Absolutely. In the next five or ten years this club can compete, no doubt..."

Enzo Maresca:

"I know that probably after a while when the club is not competing for important titles, [the fans] feel a little bit frustrated. But they cannot think that suddenly... we are competing for titles and winning titles."
🤐🤬

[via @kierangill_DM]

 

He has been sold this pussy mentality by the these shambolic owners. 

[Blue Armour 4,342]

6 hours ago, mkh said:

Enzo Maresca:

"No, no, no [we are not considering any free agents to bolster attack]. We are focused on finding solutions with the ones that we have."

Enzo Maresca:  "No [plans to block Deivid Washington's proposed loan move]. He is in talks with Santos."

Enzo Maresca:

"Our goal, our duty is to bring this club to win or compete in four competitions but at this moment we are not ready. Am I confident it will happen? Absolutely. In the next five or ten years this club can compete, no doubt..."

Enzo Maresca:

"I know that probably after a while when the club is not competing for important titles, [the fans] feel a little bit frustrated. But they cannot think that suddenly... we are competing for titles and winning titles."
🤐🤬

[via @kierangill_DM]

 

 ‘So we’ve got Maresca saying top 4 wasn’t the target, Laurence Stewart saying UCL is a must, and Cucurella saying top 4 is non-negotiable. Does anyone at Chelsea have the same meeting, or are they using different group chats?’ 😪

 

"In the next 5 or 10 years, this club can compete?"

GTFO. 

Within 3 years these guys have taken the club from CL winners and regular top 4 contenders, into ignominy., without even a shirt sponsor., and all real estate assets sold.

And you need another 5 to 10 years to bring it back?

Hope this just a case of mistranslation or poor English from Maresca., and he actually meant that the club is ready to compete FOR the next 5 to 10 years instead.

 

 

[Reddish-Blue 2,408]

4 hours ago, Blue Armour said:

"In the next 5 or 10 years, this club can compete?"

GTFO. 

Within 3 years these guys have taken the club from CL winners and regular top 4 contenders, into ignominy., without even a shirt sponsor., and all real estate assets sold.

And you need another 5 to 10 years to bring it back?

Hope this just a case of mistranslation or poor English from Maresca., and he actually meant that the club is ready to compete FOR the next 5 to 10 years instead.

 

 

To be fair, in 5 years time, all those kids we've been hoarding will probably come good and live up to their potential and we would be a decent team on Football manager 2030 edition. 

[Vesper 29,262]

Jonathan Tah has chosen Barcelona for his next club as he prepares to leave Bayer Leverkusen on a free transfer in the summer.

[Vesper 29,262]

When Liam Delap dominates, people notice – no wonder big clubs are keeping tabs on him

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6138610/2025/02/16/liam-delap-ipswich-manchester-united-Chelsea/

As long as Liam Delap keeps scoring, Ipswich Town will have a chance of staying in the Premier League.

Delap struck his 10th league goal of the season against Aston Villa on Saturday to secure third-bottom Ipswich’s first point since the beginning of January, keeping them within touching distance of Wolverhampton Wanderers, who are away to leaders Liverpool today, in the safety of 17th.

The 22-year-old has emerged as one of the Premier League’s brightest young talents and as he walked past the away supporters packed into the Doug Ellis Stand at Villa Park after being substituted in the 80th minute, they showered him in adulation.

It was a similar scene at full time, only this time he was joined by the visitors’ manager Kieran McKenna and the rest of their squad, who stood there as the buoyant crowd chanted about their prospects of staying in the Premier League for next season.

As a striker, Delap is a throwback to yesteryear, but with a deft touch. He’s tall (186cm/6ft 1in), physical, direct, and can bully defenders. Just ask Axel Disasi, making his Villa debut on loan from Chelsea, what the first 45 minutes felt like.

In the dressing room at half-time, McKenna spoke about his team having a chance to win against a lacklustre Villa, despite the fact his side lost Axel Tuanzebe, sent off for two yellow-card offences, before the break. All they had to do, in their manager’s words, was to get “one or two moments” and for one of them to fall to Delap.

That is exactly what happened as Omari Hutchinson beat Ian Maatsen on the right before zipping the ball into a penalty area that contained four Villa defenders, only for Delap to cut across his man and clip a neat finish past goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.

 

Delap made it 10 goals this season in the 1-1 draw at Villa (Clive Mason/Getty Images)

“Really good goal,” McKenna said after the match. “You always hope that he will get a couple of moments. It’s good movement from Liam and a different type of goal for him as well, in terms of getting across the defender. Really good.”

Against Villa, it was no surprise that Delap’s overall input was limited, yet when Ipswich needed him to step up, he did. The Manchester City academy graduate was involved in more defensive actions (six) than he was in attacking build-up play (five).

Marcus Stewart, who played up front for Ipswich in 2000-01, is the only player to score more goals (19) in a single Premier League campaign for the club, further highlighting Delap’s impressive impact since last summer’s £20million ($25.2m at the current exchange rate) move from the champions.

In his own post-match press conference, Villa manager Unai Emery said Delap is doing a “fantastic” job, as well as describing him as a “very competitive striker”.

Delap’s goals and performances this season have caught the attention of clubs throughout the Premier League, with The Athletic revealing earlier this week that Manchester United have been tracking his performances. City inserted a £40million buy-back clause into the deal when they sold him to Ipswich, while Chelsea have also expressed their interest.

You would also expect Thomas Tuchel, England’s new head coach, to have noticed Delap this season.

Tuchel will be picking his first squad soon for the national team’s opening World Cup qualifiers next month against Albania and Latvia. 

Ollie Watkins, who scored Villa’s equaliser yesterday, is the only English centre-forward to have registered more Premier League goals (11) than Delap this season. Chelsea’s Cole Palmer, another City old boy, is ahead of both with 14 but it is unlikely he will be leading the line for England in those games.

What will surely appeal to Tuchel is Delap’s versatility. He scores from long range, close range, with both feet and with his head. His shot map from across the season highlights exactly that.

Delap has a shot accuracy of just over 51 per cent, which is 10th among forwards who have played more than 900 minutes in the Premier League this season. This is better than Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak, Watkins, Jean-Philippe Mateta of Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur’s Dominic Solanke.

It should not come as a surprise that his conversion rate is also high, just over 23 per cent, which places him sixth when judged by the same metrics as above. This is better than Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and Cody Gakpo of Liverpool.

GO DEEPER

What sort of football will Thomas Tuchel's England play?

“If you are going to be a striker for us in our first season back in the Premier League in 22 years, you are not going to be facing a low block in every game,” McKenna added. “In some games, we are more dominant and there are more crosses. In some games, it’s more counter-attacking, and in some games, teams play really high against us and there is space in behind. You need that balanced threat.

“It’s really good for Liam and there are not many like him in terms of the mixed threat he has.”

[mkh 372]

Chelsea’s idea was Champions League this season that’s what they want. Chelsea are planning with Enzo Maresca for the future and have already started some summer transfer meetings. Chelsea are happy with his tactics, the mentality he is giving to the team, no issues. They believe he’s the right man. (@FabrizioRomano)

[Mário César 1,053]

changing the manager will not fix our issue

our biggest problem is the board

[Blue Armour 4,342]

3 hours ago, mkh said:

Chelsea’s idea was Champions League this season that’s what they want. Chelsea are planning with Enzo Maresca for the future and have already started some summer transfer meetings. Chelsea are happy with his tactics, the mentality he is giving to the team, no issues. They believe he’s the right man. (@FabrizioRomano)

Hopefully common sense prevails.

Chopping and changing the manager every season does not help.

Neither does inaction during a transfer window. They've essentially made life more difficult for Maresca by moving out player without any reinforcements.

[Vesper 29,262]

Renato Veiga 7.6 – Superb performance from the Chelsea loanee. Tough to beat Physically and composed on the ball (88% passing accuracy via Sofascore).

MOTM as a CB

Shut down Inter in a 1 nil victory 

[Strike 7,305]

8 minutes ago, Vesper said:

Renato Veiga 7.6 – Superb performance from the Chelsea loanee. Tough to beat Physically and composed on the ball (88% passing accuracy via Sofascore).

MOTM as a CB

Shut down Inter in a 1 nil victory 

Weird how he was handled. Was a good pickup - glad it's only a dry loan. His physicality would have been of use in defense or midfield. 

[TheHulk 1,977]

1 hour ago, Vesper said:

Renato Veiga 7.6 – Superb performance from the Chelsea loanee. Tough to beat Physically and composed on the ball (88% passing accuracy via Sofascore).

MOTM as a CB

Shut down Inter in a 1 nil victory 

With each passing day we get to see more and more Maresca is nothing but a championship manager and that's it.

Edited Sunday at 23:44 by TheHulk

[LAM09 6,853]

2 hours ago, Strike said:

Weird how he was handled. Was a good pickup - glad it's only a dry loan. His physicality would have been of use in defense or midfield. 

His character is rare for someone his age too. If you watched any of derby, you'd have seen him shouting at his teammates. He's been there for 5 seconds and is already leading his team (I do wonder in what language, tho).

[Reddish-Blue 2,408]

11 hours ago, Strike said:

Weird how he was handled. Was a good pickup - glad it's only a dry loan. His physicality would have been of use in defense or midfield. 

It is more than a dry loan, it's an opportunity for him to prove himself to other European clubs with a view to permanent transfer.   

We're struggling in defense and we allow him to go on a dry loan in January?   Good move by his agent, put your player in the transfer window and force Chelsea to make a decision in the summer, either play him or sell him. 

[Reddish-Blue 2,408]

10 hours ago, TheHulk said:

With each passing day we get to see more and more Maresca is nothing but a championship manager and that's it.

But don't worry, we'll get to see Sancho and Nkunku walking around the pitch doing f*ck all for the rest of the season. 

[Special Juan 27,574]

Nkunku is a superb footballer, you just don't go from top quality at Leipzig to what we are seeing now...he has simply down tools since he was left on the bench for god knows how long.

He wants away and has jacked it in

[Mário César 1,053]

ofc we will lose santos and veiga

[Strike 7,305]

2 hours ago, Reddish-Blue said:

It is more than a dry loan, it's an opportunity for him to prove himself to other European clubs with a view to permanent transfer.   

We're struggling in defense and we allow him to go on a dry loan in January?   Good move by his agent, put your player in the transfer window and force Chelsea to make a decision in the summer, either play him or sell him. 

Yes, I'm just glad there's no buy option or obligation involved. He can come back and be useful for the XI